


In The Meantime

by WandaRavenBlack



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Cravings, Flashbacks, Friendship, Magical Artifacts, Pregnant Belle (Once Upon a Time), Protective Captain Hook | Killian Jones, The Jolly Roger | The Jewel of the Realm (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 08:13:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27347953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WandaRavenBlack/pseuds/WandaRavenBlack
Summary: Belle has a midnight food craving but, because of the threat of Rumpelstiltskin getting to her, she can't leave the ship. So Killian decides to get the food for her. On the way, he considers the best options of how to keep Belle safe. He knows there is a way, but it will mean doing exactly what Pan would have wanted him to do. And that is never a good idea.
Relationships: Belle & Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Captain Hook | Killian Jones & Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Captain Hook | Killian Jones & Peter Pan | Malcolm
Kudos: 8





	In The Meantime

Killian was woken up in the middle of the night by unsteady footsteps coming towards him. He opened his eyes, fully ready to scream at whatever Lost Boy had dared to venture onto his ship again, only to stop in confusion when he realized that he wasn’t in his cabin. He was in the crew’s sleeping cabin. Was this Pan’s doing? The boy did like to mess with his ship and crew from time to time. He looked around, his eyes falling on the figure in the doorway. The female figure. Immediately, all the memories rushed back. Right. He wasn’t in Neverland anymore. Hadn’t been for quite some time. He sat up on the bed, making sure to not hit his head on the bunk over him. 

“Belle? What’s wrong, love?” 

She walked further into the cabin, her hand not leaving the wall. Killian frowned and looked around. Things on the ship were swaying more than usually and he suddenly understood why the woman was staying next to the wall. The sea was uneasy. Not that it bothered him. While he was thinking, Belle had reached the nearest bunk and sat down. She looked slightly nervous. 

“Um. I’m sorry for waking you. But you told me to not leave the ship without telling you, and I’m really craving Granny’s chocolate covered strawberry eclairs. I was thinking that maybe I could just run over there and buy some.” 

Killian sighed, still not fully awake, but alert nonetheless. There was no way he was letting Belle out of the ship so late at night. Not with the crocodile around. He stood up and reached for his coat and hook. He fastened the hook and pulled the coat over his shoulders, before stretching his hand out to Belle. She took it with a frown and let him pull her to her feet. 

“You’re not going anywhere other than back to the cabin. I’ll get you whatever you want.” 

He started leading her back to the captain’s cabin, mindful of the way she seemed unsteady on the rocking ship. 

“Killian, you really don’t have to. I can…” 

“No. It’s not a problem at all.” 

And, seeing her face, he continued. 

“Belle. I want you to be safe. But the magic that I activated around the ship only works if you’re staying on the ship. Alright?” 

She nodded and let him lead her to the bed. He helped her lie down and grabbed the book she had left on the table. 

“Here. Read for some time. I’ll be back before you know it.” 

She smiled at him, so he nodded and turned to the door. He was halfway out of the room, when he heard her voice. 

“Killian?” 

He turned back to her. 

“This magic. The one protecting the Jolly Roger and me. You never told me where you got it from. Who cast the original spell.” 

Killian hesitated, not knowing how she would react to the answer. Then he sighed. 

“Pan. I asked him to make sure that no one, not even the Dark One, could hurt my crew. He agreed, for a price, and cast the spell. Before I left Neverland, he lifted the spell and left it lingering in the ship. Then he told me how I could reactivate it if I ever needed the Jolly Roger to be protected.” 

Belle frowned. 

“So not even… Not even Rumple can get on the ship?” 

“Not without my explicit permission. And he will never get that.” 

He smiled at her. 

“Don’t worry, Belle. As long as you stay on the ship, you’re safe. This might actually be the safest place in Storybrooke right now.” 

She looked satisfied with the answer, so he just nodded at her and quickly left. He walked up to the deck of his ship and stopped. The sea was very uneasy. He could hear and feel the waves hitting the sides of the ship, light rain hitting down onto the deck. A storm was coming. He frowned. David had told him about how bad storms hit in Storybrooke. And, even though he wasn’t nervous about the electricity failing, after all, everything that wasn’t old fashioned on the ship ran on magic. And he knew that the Jolly Roger could stand even the worst storms out there. Neverland had proved it more than once. What he worried about was Belle. She was clearly uneasy on the ship even now, which meant that it would get much worse when the storm hit. As he stepped off the ship and headed towards Granny’s, he thought about all the places in the town where he could hide Belle during the storm. He hadn’t been lying when he said that the Jolly Roger was the safest place in Storybrooke. Pan might have been a monster, but he cared about his toys. And, however much it pained him to think about that, Killian and the Jolly Roger had been his toys. He did a quick count of all the places where Belle could be protected. Regina’s vault was one of them. If Regina and Emma both put up wards, it should keep him out for some time. But that wouldn’t be enough. The convent was a possibility. He hadn’t been on good terms with the fairies since the whole hat thing, but they liked Belle. Maybe they could come together and create a shield around the convent until the storm passed. It seemed like a good idea, until he noticed one flaw. Even if the fairies helped, the Crocodile wouldn’t stop until he got through the shield. Asking Zelena for help was out of question. He didn’t trust her enough to let her anywhere near Belle. He almost stumbled when he realized that there was a way. A sure-fire way to protect Belle. But the question was, would he be willing to do it? It would mean that they could stay in, for example, the loft. Belle would be comfortable. And it would give the Charming’s, Emma and little Neal extra protection, if the Crocodile decided to take revenge for keeping Belle away from him. Killian’s hand lifted to his necklace and he remembered the day he got it. 

_ Pan was standing in front of him, an annoyed look on his face. Killian himself was on the ground, holding a hand to his bleeding side.  _

_ “You failed, Captain.”  _

_ “I didn’t expect there to be a bloody army guarding the mansion.”  _

_ Pan raised an eyebrow.  _

_ “20 men are hardly an army. I’ve seen you fight more and come out with barely a few scratches. It’s almost like you wanted to fail.”  _

_ He crouched down, his hand suddenly grabbing Killian’s side. He pressed down on the wound and Killian screamed. The boy held him there for a few seconds, before letting go slightly.  _

_ “You were trying to leave Neverland. You thought that if you got injured out there, you wouldn’t have to return here. You thought you could get away from me.”  _

_ Killian shook his head, but stopped when it earned him another squeeze on his wound. Pan was glaring at him with an expression that told him that if he didn’t choose his words wisely, he would be in a world of pain.  _

_ “I was doing my best. But there were too many and I had lost ten of my men.”  _

_ Pan’s hand eased up the pressure a bit and he took a calming breath.  _

_ “I called for a retreat and tried to help one of my men. That was why I wasn’t careful and got stabbed. I didn’t think about not going back. As soon as I was on the ship, I came back. I swear.”  _

_ He looked Pan straight in the eyes, making sure to not show any anger or frustration.  _

_ “I wasn’t trying to leave.”  _

_ Pan considered him for a few seconds, before nodding and letting go of his side. Immediately, Killian put his own hand to the wound, pressing down to stop the bleeding. He had managed to steer the ship back to Neverland and even walk upright almost half the way to Pan’s camp, before he collapsed.  _

_ “Will you drink the waters?”  _

_ Killian’s eyes widened.  _

_ “No. You… You promised you wouldn’t force me!”  _

_ He tried to shout, but he was getting way too weak. Pan shook his head.  _

_ “I’m not forcing. It was a question.”  _

_ He reached his hand out, pushed Killian’s hand to the side and put his own over the wound. A warm tingling feeling spread over his side, before the boy smiled and pulled away. The wound was gone.  _

_ “Thank you.”  _

_ Pan nodded and stood up. Killian followed suit, having to lean against a tree to stay upright. Pan tilted his head, before he stretched his hand out.  _

_ “Give it to me.”  _

_ Killian pulled out the necklace from his pocket and gave it to the boy. Pan considered it, before nodding.  _

_ “This is it.”  _

_ He looked up.  _

_ “Do you know what this is?”  _

_ Killian shook his head.  _

_ “No. You told me to get it, so I got it.”  _

_ Pan held it up so that Killian could see the sword and skull on the necklace.  _

_ “This is a necklace that an old pirate lord got from a dark witch. He had saved her life and, in return, she gave him a way to protect himself. She infused this necklace with enough of her magic, to make it truly special. If he ever needed her help, all he had to do was break the sword on the necklace and her power would keep him safe. He died before he could use it.”  _

_ Killian sat down on the ground again, leaning against the tree. He had lost too much blood and knew that he needed to go back to the ship and rest. But he also knew that trying to leave would only anger Pan. The safest route would be to indulge the boy for now.  _

_ “And what was the price? You always say that all magic comes with a price.”  _

_ Pan nodded, a smile appearing on his face.  _

_ “Yes. There is a price. A price that the dark witch forgot had to be paid.”  _

_ He sat down on the ground as well.  _

_ “In order to get the spell to work properly, a little bit of essence from both their hearts have to be put in the necklace. She cared about the pirate too much to cause him the pain of ripping his heart out and taking anything from it. So she only used her own heart. The day he died, the magic in the necklace died as well. But, there was more to the price. If she had paid the price as she was supposed to, and he had used the necklace to protect himself, he would have to pay as well. If he activated the protection spell, it would make him feel like he had to get to her. The parts of their hearts in the necklace would mend together, creating a bond that would be strong enough for her to control him, even without her having his heart in her hand. The protection he would have would last for 48 hours. After that, he would destroy anything in his way, even the people he loved, in order to get to her. To do whatever she wanted him to do. Of course, as with almost anything, there is a time limit. If he wasn’t reunited with her in the span of a week, from the moment the 48 hours were up, the spell would release him, and he would be able to go back to his own life.”  _

_ Killian let his head fall back against the tree.  _

_ “Why are you telling me all this? You said it yourself. The magic died with him. And that witch didn’t even perform the spell right.”  _

_ Peter smiled, his expression oddly soft, which really worried Killian. Peter Pan wasn’t soft. He wasn’t kind. There was always an ulterior motive.  _

_ “The spell can be cast again. That witch wasn’t ready to hurt her pirate, even if it would give him protection. I am more than ready to hurt mine.”  _

_ Suddenly, he was right in front of Killian, his hand resting on his chest. The pirate froze. Pictures of Milah’s dead body appeared in front of his eyes. Most probably noticing his fear, Pan stopped. Making sure to keep eye contact with him, he said in a calm voice: _

_ “I won’t kill you. This will hurt, but I will not kill or control you.”  _

_ “Why?”  _

_ Killian hated how his voice almost shivered.  _

_ “Because I need you. You have proven to me that you are loyal. The Lost Boys follow me because they have to. Because they are mindless beasts as soon as I start playing my pipe. But you. You’re different. I let you leave. I let you go to get this for me. You could have fled. But you came back.”  _

_ His hand pressed slightly harder against Killian’s chest. The pirate hesitated. He didn’t trust Pan. Only a fool would trust Pan. But he also understood the boy. He was useful. And, as long as he was useful, Pan would want to keep him alive and well. He wasn’t afraid of pain. Hell, his hand had been cut off, the brace for his hook was uncomfortable at best and painful at worst. He figured he should have had the wound looked at by a medic and had the brace properly adjusted, but there hadn’t been time. And there was no way he was going to ask Pan for help with it. The boy was still crouching, waiting. Very slowly, Killian nodded.  _

_ “Alright. Do it.”  _

_ Pan moved so quickly that he didn’t even have time to grunt, before his heart was held in the boy’s hand. He felt emptiness inside of him, a hollow hole which couldn’t be filled. Pan kept his eyes on him, almost as if making sure he wouldn’t freak out, before he lifted the necklace and brought it closer to the glowing heart. Next thing Killian knew was excruciating pain and the world went black.  _

Killian stopped on the other side of the road opposite from Granny’s. His hand was still clutching the necklace. When he had woken up, he was back on the ship, in his own bed. His brace had been taken off and was on the table in the middle of the cabin. His coat was hanging over the back of one of the chairs. The necklace was around his neck and his heart was beating in his chest. Through the years, he had wanted to use the protection spell several times. The first time was when he was sailing with Cora to Storybrooke. It didn’t matter that the spell would pull him back to Pan once the 48 hours were up. He would have more than enough time to get to the Crocodile and kill him. But he hadn’t when he realized that going against what Cora said would be unwise. He didn’t know if she was more powerful than Pan, but he didn’t want to find it out the hard way. The second time was when they had landed in Neverland. He had been tempted to activate the spell and go straight into Pan’s camp to get Henry. He didn’t even know how that would have worked. Would Pan’s spell protect him from the boy himself? Or would that be just another one of his stupid mistakes? Only the fact that he knew Pan had most probably already thought about him using the spell kept him from doing it. No one outsmarted Pan. The third time came when Zelena’s monkeys were attacking and he had to protect Henry. He had wanted to activate the spell and get the boy to safety but, before he could do it, Emma and the others had showed up. The fourth time was when the Crocodile held his heart. He had wanted to break the hold the man had on him, but it was impossible. The Crocodile had forbidden him from using any means to fight back. He hadn’t thought about using it when Emma was the Dark One, simply because he never believed himself to be in any danger. And when he himself had been the Dark One, he hadn’t needed it. He hadn’t thought too much about the necklace. Until now. If he activated it, he would be able to keep Belle safe until the storm passed. He was snapped out of his thoughts when the door to Granny’s opened. Granny herself stuck her head out and shouted to him. 

“Are you coming inside, or are you going to just stand there and stare?!” 

He shook his head slightly and hurried over to the other side of the street. Granny opened the door wider and let him inside. The warmth hit him and he felt himself relaxing. But, almost immediately, he frowned when he noticed Regina sitting in one of the booths, warming her hands around a mug of coffee. She looked up, seemingly just as shocked as he was. Granny raised her eyebrows. 

“What can I help you with?” 

Killian turned back to her. 

“Belle has late night food cravings. She requested chocolate covered strawberry eclairs. Could I get some this late?” 

Granny’s expression softened and she nodded. 

“Of course. Go sit down and I’ll prepare them for you.” 

And she left. After slight hesitation, Killian walked over to Regina’s booth and sat down opposite from her. 

“You’re here awfully late, Guyliner.” 

He shrugged. 

“Belle was hungry. I’m not about to let her walk off the ship so late. Not with the Crocodile around.” 

Regina raised her eyebrows. 

“You tried to kill her.” 

Killian nodded. 

“I’m trying to change.” 

She looked at him for a few seconds, before nodding too. 

“Yeah.” 

His hand lifted to his necklace again and he lifted it up a little so that she could see it, without him having to take it off. 

“Do you know what this is?” 

She tilted her head slightly. 

“I have my suspicions. But I’m not sure where you would have gotten it from. My mother wouldn’t have given you something like that. I didn’t do it. And I don’t expect you would have run into many magic users that would be willing to give you that.” 

Killian smiled sadly. 

“Pan.” 

Her eyes widened. 

“Pan gave you something that would protect you?” 

He shrugged. 

“He was fond of me back then. I was useful. But that’s not the point.” 

He glanced around to make sure that Granny wasn’t anywhere near. Seeing that, Regina leaned a bit closer to him. 

“There is a storm coming. And Belle isn’t feeling well on a rocking ship. It’s only going to get worse and worse. I need to get her off the ship. And I need her to be protected. With the Dark One after her, your vault and the convent are out of question. So I’m taking her to the loft and activating the necklace. But I’ll need your help.” 

Regina glanced down to it and frowned. 

“With what?” 

His hand closed around the necklace and he took a deep breath. 

“Do you know the rules of this thing?” 

She shook her head. 

“Non really. Even Gold thought it was gone forever and barely mentioned it when he taught me.” 

“It gives the wearer protection for 48 hours. But after that, the wearer will do anything he or she can to get to the one who cast the spell. Get rid of anyone who gets in their way.” 

The woman took a sip of her coffee, leaning back in her seat. 

“So you will do anything to get to Pan. Get to the Underworld.” 

“Exactly. And that’s why I’ll need your help.” 

She seemed to consider it for a few seconds, before nodding. 

“What do you need me to do?” 

Killian hesitated slightly. He was still unsure about this but, out of all of them, he trusted Regina most when it came to what needed to be done. Sure, he could ask Emma, but she was too close to him to agree to it. And, as with everything else, he didn’t trust Zelena enough to let her do it. 

“Shortly before the 48 hours are up, we’ll get Belle back to the ship, where Pan’s magic will protect her. Then I should still be able to get to your vault on my own. You’ll have to wait until the spell wears off, so that you won’t get hurt, and then you’ll rip my heart out.” 

Regina almost dropped her mug. 

“What?” 

Killian nodded calmly. 

“I’m not sure how strong my want to be reunited with Pan will be, but if you have my heart, you should be able to at least slow me down. Lock me up in your vault and don’t let me out until a week has passed and you’re sure that I’m back to normal.” 

The woman was still staring at him with shock. 

“You want ME to rip your heart out?” 

Killian rolled his eyes. 

“Look, the only two people who can do it and that I trust are you and Emma. And, if I’m being honest, I don’t know if I could act the same around Emma if she did it.” 

“And you won’t be bothered by me doing it?” 

The pirate laughed quietly and leaned back. 

“You and me go way back, your majesty. Your mother almost ripped my heart out. I was at the risk of you killing me several times when we were working together. You never did. And you’ve changed.” 

“Are you saying that you trust me?” 

Killian hesitated, before shrugging. 

“Maybe.” 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Regina finishing her drink and Killian thinking. This had to work. There was no way it wouldn’t. Regina could contain him until the spell wore off. 

“Alright.” 

He looked at her again. 

“I’ll talk to the Charmings about this and come by your ship to get you and Belle to their loft.” 

“Wait until morning. The storm won’t get much worse until around two hours after dawn.” 

Regina frowned. 

“How do you…?” 

She stopped when she saw his raised eyebrows. 

“Right. Pirate.” 

Killian shook his head with a small smile. 

“Captain of a ship.” 

Right then, Granny walked out from the back room carrying two big paper bags and a cup holder with two cups in it. Seeing her, Killian stood up and met her halfway. She gave him the bags and the cups and pointed at them. 

“There is a warm box of potatoes, carrots and chicken wings in that one. Belle’s favorite. I also put some sauces in there in small boxes so she can choose which one she wants. The other bag has four of those eclairs she wanted, as well as a piece of her favorite cheesecake, two brownies, a small box of strawberries and two strawberry muffins. That cup has mint tea for Belle. It will calm her stomach if she feels ill after anything. The second is coffee for you. I poured some rum into it. You look like you need it.” 

Killian frowned, making both Granny and Regina laugh. Regina pulled out a small mirror and stretched it out to him. He put the cup holder down, grabbed it and looked at his reflection, almost gasping when he noticed how he looked. Usually, when he was at sea, he would use kohl around his eyes. He had once managed to convince Pan to enchant it so that his supply never ran out and was magically waterproof, an important feature when you lived your life on a ship. But, lately, Emma had convinced him to use some modern make-up instead, telling him to get more used to the time he was living in. Now, the eyeshadow that she had given him was smudged all around his eyes, making him look like an angry raccoon. His wet hair was sticking in all directions. He looked like a mess. With a grin, Regina stood up and grabbed the mirror from him. 

“Stand still.” 

She waved her hand around his face and he felt slight tingling. When she lifted the mirror to let him see himself again, the smudged shadow was gone and he had his usual kohl around his eyes. 

“Never use modern make-up again. Not when you have the magical one at hand. You’ll be able to wash it off as usual. Rose water or oil. Alcohol will also do, but I don’t think I have to remind you not to use it around your eyes.” 

Killian nodded at her with a small smile and picked up the cups again. 

“Thank you. I’ll see you in the morning?” 

“Of course.” 

With a smile and ‘thank you’ to Granny, he went out into the night again. The rain had started to pick up more and he hurried his steps to get to the ship before the bags got wet. He managed to get there in ten minutes, actually running in some parts. He hurried up the gangplank and quickly ducked into the captain’s cabin. Belle looked up from the book she was reading, her eyes widening when she noticed his wet hair. She put the book to the side and stood up, swaying when the ship rocked from side to side. Killian put the bags and cups on the table and gave her a smile. 

“Why don’t you unpack, love, and I’ll dry up a bit.” 

Belle nodded and started unpacking the food while Killian pulled off his coat and grabbed a towel to dry off his hair. 

“Did Granny empty her entire storage?” 

“Well, you’re eating for two now.” 

He threw the towel in the corner of the room and looked at the food Belle had put out. There was indeed enough to feed at least three people. Belle had grabbed two metal bowls from a cupboard and put them on the table. 

“Come on. There is enough for both of us.” 

And, before Killian could protest, she split the food into the two bowls, putting all the cakes and sweets on a big plate. Then she sat down, Killian quickly following suit. 

“How are you feeling, love?” 

“A bit dizzy from the ship rocking, but otherwise fine.” 

Killian nodded, smiling at her slightly to keep her calm. 

“Tomorrow morning, Regina will come here to get you and me to the Charmings’ loft. We’ll wait out the storm there.” 

Belle frowned. 

“But… What about Rumple?” 

“Don’t worry, love. Me and Regina talked about this, and we have a way to keep him from getting to you. Just trust me, alright?” 

She nodded slowly. 

“Alright. If you’re sure about this.” 

“I am. I promise that he will not come close to you.” 

They ate in silence for a few minutes, before Belle looked up and smiled at him. 

“Thank you, Killian. For everything you’re doing for me. I mean, you’re risking your life, you’re using Pan’s magic, you’re staying here with me instead of being with Emma and Henry. I don’t know how to thank you.” 

Killian looked down at the table. He was so unused to people actually thanking him for things, that he still didn’t really know how to take it. Especially since nowadays people actually meant it. He often thought about how much easier it had been to be a heartless pirate than being Killian Jones, a good person. Or, at least, a person trying to be good. He looked up when he felt Belle’s hand on his own. 

“I have been thinking about something I once told you. About how your heart was rotten. I was wrong.” 

Killian shook his head. 

“No, love. You weren’t. Back then, my heart was as rotten as they got. After everything I had done on Pan’s orders, and then Cora’s. Everything I did to get to the Crocodile. My heart was rotten. But, hopefully, I can change it.” 

Belle squeezed his hand. 

“You already have. I know you said that you have to forgive yourself. And I understand that. But I want you to know that I forgive you. For everything you have done.” 

He looked at her with surprise, before squeezing her hand back. 

“Thank you, Belle.” 

She smiled at him. 

“Now. I read one of the books you have here. The one with those fairytales. I’ve never read about them.” 

Killian grinned at her and leaned back in his chair. 

“You have to remember that I’m over 300 years old. The fairytales my mother read for me back then are so old that I doubt anyone in Storybrooke remembers them. That book you read was my mother’s. When we left, Liam insisted we take it with us. He knew how much I loved books, so he read it to me every night. I learned how to read from it. Then, when I was cleaning out the ship after we became pirates, I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away.” 

Belle nodded. 

“I’m glad you didn’t. Those stories are fascinating.” 

He smiled at her when she went back to eating. Between them two, they finished the food and drinks pretty quickly. Killian helped Belle walk over to the bed and lay down, before blowing out all candles but one. 

“If you need help, just shout. I sleep very lightly. No need for you to stumble around and, heaven forbid, get hurt.” 

Belle nodded with a smile. 

“Thank you, Killian. Goodnight.” 

“Sleep well, Belle.” 

He grabbed his coat and quickly left. Outside, the rain had stopped for a few minutes. He walked up to the helm and looked up to the sky, his hand coming up to the necklace. 

“Let’s hope you weren’t lying, Pan.” 

He felt a buzz in the necklace, almost as if the boy’s magic was responding. He sighed. For so long he had managed to avoid thinking about this. They had saved Henry, Pan was dead. He had hoped that he never would have to think about him. But here he was. His ship protected by Pan’s magic, a few hours away from activating the magic in the necklace. He shook his head. It was worth it. Belle would be protected. Everyone who was in danger from the Crocodile could come on the ship and be safe. He almost cursed when he realized that the damn boy had most probably expected this. That this was exactly what he had wanted. The Jolly Roger had become the new Neverland. A place protected from the Dark One and anyone who would want to hurt its inhabitants. And he had become its protector, just as Pan had been Neverland’s protector. He shook his head. It was worth it. As long as Regina could keep him from going to the Underworld to find Pan, it was all worth it. With a sigh he left the helm and walked beneath deck. He shrugged off the coat, unfastened his hook and pulled off his boots, before laying down on the cot again. He closed his eyes and let the rocking of the ship lull him back to sleep. And if he had nightmares about a boy in green, laughing maniacally, well, who was he to protest. It was all worth it. He couldn’t get rid of the Crocodile for the others. And he couldn’t swear that everything would be fine once Belle’s child was born. But he could do his best to protect her and the others. He owed it to them. It would be a long time before he could be the good man they seemed to see him as. But, in the meantime, he could be the man they needed between them and the danger. The shield that could take the hits that the Crocodile might throw. He could try being the man his mother had wanted him to be. 


End file.
